Following traumatic injuries, venous injuries are often an afterthought in comparison to their arterial counterparts. However, traumatic injury of the venous structures may have similarly disastrous outcomes from the patients if not recognised and treated early.

Venous structures in the brain include the deep cerebral veins:

• Internal cerebral veins – arise at foramen of Monroe from the septal and thalamostriate veins; found in velum interpositum ; drains into the great cerebral vein (of Galen)
• Basal vein of Rosenthal – formed by complex system of veins starting anteriorly at the deep middle cerebral vein and anterior cerebral vein; drains into the great cerebral vein (of Galen)
• Great Cerebral vein (of Galen) – drains the paired internal cerebral veins, basal veins, superior vermian veins, and medial occipital veins; inferior to splenium and terminates at the straight sinus

Superficial cerebral veins drain into dural venous sinuses including:

• Superior sagittal sinus
• Inferior sagittal sinus
• Straight sinus
• Occipital sinus
• Intercavernous sinus – connect the cavernous sinuses and border the sella turcica
• Transverse sinus
• Sigmoid sinus
• Petrosal sinuses
• Cavernous sinus
• Sphenoparietal sinus

The venous structures of the neck vary greatly from patient to patient. The internal jugular vein is the caudal drainage of the sigmoid sinus and runs posterolaterally to the carotids. The external jugular vein originates at the posterior auricular and retromandibular veins. The vertebral venous plexuses originate from the suboccipital plexus, basilar plexus, and cervical musculature. Venous flow continues into the brachiocephalic veins and ultimately the right heart.